"I intend to rebel against you Outer Gods, against this entire universe."
To you Outer Gods who cover a world in tragedy as you see fit, mock it with a game called apocalypse, and treat the beings living there as puppets.
I intend to show you clearly.
That we are not simply marionettes dancing on a stage.
That even if the strings are cut, even without a script, we are beings who can decide how to live by our own will…!
"How?"
Perhaps unable to imagine a story on the scale of rebelling against the Outer Gods watching from beyond the stage.
More flustered than ever before, the Demon King even stumbled over his words slightly.
"What exactly do you intend to do, and how?"
Smiling faintly, I slowly and in detail revealed my plan.
As I explained my plan, the Demon King's white crack-like mouth gradually widened, until it was nearly gaping by the end.
"Do you truly believe such an absurd plan will succeed?"
After hearing my plan to the end, the Demon King shouted.
"The Outer Gods will interfere at every step of your plan! And the Outer Gods are powerful! You are now truly declaring all-out war against them! The chances of this plan succeeding are infinitesimally small!"
"As you say, the chances are slim."
As the Demon King pointed out, this is by no means a safe gamble.
"But isn't it worth a try?"
However, it's not an impossible challenge either.
I have always defeated overwhelmingly powerful enemies with small and trivial tactics.
I'm simply doing the same thing this time.
"If this plan fully succeeds, Apocalypse Calamity will disappear from this world. No longer will the people of this world be toyed with by vast beings."
"…"
"And above all, the woman you've been searching for. She will be freed from her eons-long duty, truly liberated."
Slowly.
I extended my hand forward.
"Our paths overlap, Demon King."
"…"
"Because you and I are of the same kind."
Those who didn't give up on countless battles through time, who clung to saving someone.
Such foolish idiots, that's who we are.
Even if we clash in every other aspect, even if we've strived to fight and kill each other for eons until now.
If we have that one thing in common.
We can understand each other, even if just a little.
And if we can understand each other.
We can look in the same direction, stand shoulder to shoulder.
"I came to save you. So you too, save me."
"…"
"For this plan to be realized, we need each other. So please, join me in my rebellion."
After a long silence, the Demon King slowly shook his head.
"…Don't dress it up with pretty words."
He glared at me and spoke in a suppressed voice.
"Your plan not only has a low chance of success, but requires paying far too high a price. You'll lose most of the foundation that built up your world, starting with your world itself!"
"It doesn't matter."
I shrugged nonchalantly.
"I've already gotten people's consent. They said if they can gain true freedom, they're fine with paying any price."
If Pinocchio, dancing on strings, could become a real person. If he had to set fire to the strings binding his body for that…
He should be able to endure a few burn scars on his hands and neck.
"Above all, we don't need salvation secured by someone else's sacrifice."
Thinking of the goddess, I put strength into my voice.
"If it's a world that can only be maintained by burning someone's existence, it would be better for it to collapse once."
"…!"
Perhaps realizing that I was truly prepared to stake everything in my world.
The Demon King, who had been shaking his head, placed a hand on his chest.
"I am an intermediary put forth by the Outer Gods. I am essentially the same as them, fallen onto this stage to show the tragedy of this world to the Outer Gods. Are you urging me to betray my own kind?"
"…"
"If I follow your plan, I must sacrifice my everything. Is there any reason I should agree to this rebellion, even burning my own existence?"
I answered immediately.
"The woman you sought to save achieved her goal by burning her everything."
"…!"
"Because she had the courage to not fear even her soul shattering, she remained a soul that even you could not corrupt. She became the only being to defeat you."
A smirk spread across my lips.
"On the other hand, Demon King, what about you? How resolved are you?"
"What…?"
"If you truly want to corrupt that person, shouldn't you be prepared to burn your everything as well?"
The Demon King's body trembled finely, as if struck by lightning.
With my hand still extended forward, I took one big step closer.
"This is the last chance to save her, to corrupt her."
"…"
"And above all, Demon King."
I gestured to him.
"You said you leapt down onto the stage yourself. But… you've never once played the lead role, have you?"
"…What?"
"You've always stood behind the curtain of the stage, only watching the process of actors crying, laughing, suffering, and rejoicing. Though you brought your gaze close, in the end, didn't you remain an observer just like those Outer Gods?"
To him, frozen in shock.
One more step.
"Break free from being an observer. Cast aside being a mere intermediary. At this final act, this final scene, finally step into the center of the stage… become the protagonist of your life, staking your life and plunging into your life!"
"…!"
With my hand still extended.
Continuing, one more step.
"I'll prepare the grandest stage. There, for yourself, you can unfold the final game you've always dreamed of."
Now the throne is right in front.
To my rival staring blankly at me.
Finally, one more step.
"The greatest show… of corrupting the most noble soul!"
"…"
Letting out a hollow laugh, the Demon King muttered softly.
"At this rate, I can't tell who's the tempting Demon King and who's the tempted sacrificial lamb…"
"Demon King. I'll say it once more."
My outstretched hand does not waver.
"I came to save you. I came to ignite a spark in your life that only repeats without purpose."
"…"
"This is the last game. The last stage. The last scene. The last chance. Such a stage will never exist again, before or after your life. If you want to leap in, if you want to burn, now is the only time."
The trembling disappeared from the Demon King's face and body.
The gaze within the swirling shadows stared at me intently.
Still extending my hand towards him, I grinned.
"Won't you stake everything with me and play the greatest game — a final match rebelling against the universe?"
The mortal world.
The road from the Black Lake to Crossroad.
The central point.
Boom!
The barricades piled high above the road collapsed explosively.
And like a flood overflowing a dam, countless monsters surged up and writhed over the fallen barricades.
The monsters trampled stone walls and wooden fences, climbing over each other and dyeing the ground black.
Above the ground monsters, flying monsters slowly flew, filling the sky pitch black.
"Monster horde, advancing-!"
The scouts observing the situation shouted in succession.
"Third defense line, collapsed!"
"All traps, mines, and artifacts set up in advance, confirmed neutralized!"
From the Black Lake to Crossroad.
Defense lines were formed like this in various places, and troops dispatched through teleport gates intercepted monsters with various traps set up in advance.
But stopping the enemy was only temporary, the barricades soon collapsed and the troops firing from afar had to retreat through the teleport gates again.
"South of the third defense line is now only monsters! The ground itself can't even be observed! All land and sky is covered in monsters…!"
The airship Blue Pearl, retreating while maintaining a certain distance from the vanguard of monsters.
Inside, on the bridge.
Lucas, listening to the flood of reports, asked the soldier beside him.
"How many mana core missiles do we have left?"
"Only three left, sir!"
"…"
"Should we initiate the launch sequence, Lord Lucas?"
Lucas pondered.
They had fired missiles at crucial moments to delay the enemy's advance, but now they were running low on ammo.
The enemy was still infinite.
Then the remaining missiles must be fired even more carefully, at the best timing.
"…Hold the missiles."
Lucas took a deep breath and looked south.
"If our lord's words are true, 'they' will appear soon. We'll use them."
"Pardon? By 'they' you mean…"
At that moment.
Buoooooooo…!
A roar like a whale's cry rang out.
The atmosphere shook like a water surface hit by a storm. The airship also shook violently, and all the soldiers inside covered their ears in pain.
"Th-This is…?!"
After the reverberation passed, the scouts observing the rear through telescopes shouted one by one with pale faces.
"Report! Changes occurring in the enemy monster horde!"
"Something is coming out from among the small monsters covering the horde! Th-That's…!"
Like dark clouds rippling, the monster horde filling the sky and ground writhed and surged…
Boom!
Finally, something overwhelmingly huge burst forth, parting the monster horde.
A veteran scout who recognized what it was shouted first.
"Ultra-colossal monsters-!"
Buoooooooo-!
With the cry of a giant whale, three enormous monsters revealed themselves.
One who covers the sky just by spreading its two wings, favored by the sun.
An ultra-colossal monster resembling an eagle.
Ziz.
One who shakes the earth's crust with each step, a moving mountain range.
An ultra-colossal monster resembling an elephant.
Behemoth.
One who swims on land raising black spray, the avatar of floods and rainstorms.
An ultra-colossal monster resembling a crocodile.
Leviathan.VịSit no(v)3lb/!n(.)c𝒐m for new 𝒏ov𝒆l𝒔
Letting out majestic cries, three beings so enormous they were hard to take in at once with human eyes appeared simultaneously.
"…!"
Not just the soldiers, but even Lucas was momentarily overwhelmed by this imposing sight.
But that wasn't the end of the problem.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
More were coming.
With the three ultra-colossal monsters in the lead, other giant monsters appeared one after another, letting out fierce roars and exuding oppressive auras.
Eating, crushing, and pulverizing the small monsters blocking their way…
They crawled into the mortal world, endlessly tangling and intertwining with each other.
Rumble…!
Just from their appearance, the sky distorted and the ground collapsed. The world could not withstand it and began to break down.
"The ultra-colossal monsters, they're endless…!"
"They're covering the world…!"
"Ugh, urgh, uuugh!"
The soldiers gritted their teeth and struggled.
To keep from going mad in the face of this apocalyptic sight.
Though the monsters they had fended off in previous defense battles were also terrible beings, the horde of monsters pouring out for this final battle was on a different dimension.
It felt as if the world of nightmares itself was being poured out to destroy this world. And in reality, it wasn't much different.
"…"
Among the march of such enormous monsters, the figure of the 'Sleepless Lake Princess' walking in the center of the monster horde was obscured and disappeared.
But Lucas could still feel the enemy commander's gaze.
"…"
Glaring at the southern world writhing black and filled with monsters, Lucas tightly gripped the handle of the sword at his waist.
Cold sweat he didn't even realize was seeping out was soaking the handle.